Death Awaits All
by Ryota777
Summary: A followup to Souls of Death.  A new threat looms over the universe with dark intentions.  It will take more than just the force of the twin souls of Death to combat this new enemy.
1. I

Chapter 1

Jenny and Kyoma cuddled together on the couch of their home on Ephemera. The 24 year-olds had enjoyed a happy marriage since the events that transpired at the age of 21 with the near-destruction of Tremorton by the darkness spawned by Kyo. But that was behind them now. This was the present, and Jenny had become pregnant a mere two weeks ago. The two were overjoyed by this, and eagerly anticipated the arrival of their baby. Or babies, it was too early to find out just how many children Jenny was pregnant with.

"Oh Kyo," the beautiful, busty, blue-haired female robot said, "I love you so much."

He smiled at her. "I love you too, Jen." They kissed. "Whaddya wanna do today?"

She shrugged. "Nothing in particular, although we could go for a walk later. As for now, let's watch TV." She snatched the remote from the stand next to her and flipped on the flat-screen television sitting across from them on another well-crafted stand.

Kyoma, however, wasn't paying attention to the blaring images and sounds, nor the quiet comfortableness of their two-story Japanese-style home. Instead, he paid attention to only his wife's utter beauty capable of making goddesses envy her. Jenny's long blue hair was silky smooth, her blue eyes were limitless pools of passion, her E-cup breasts were soft, round, and squishy, and her hourglass figure could give any man an erection if he so much as glanced at her. Many a night had Kyo enjoyed pleasuring and comforting Jenny, and the two were certain that nothing could tear them apart. They hadn't fought even once since their marriage, and intended to keep it that way.

"MASTER KYO! MISTRESS JENNY!"

A small, yellow and blue robot dashed into the room. His eyes were big and round, while his hands were merely circle-shaped claws. His name was Otake, and he was a servbot. Many of these small robots lived with Kyo and Jenny to serve them. They were treated with utmost respect and were happy, just like the married couple. But today, Otake was very distressed.

Kyo quickly regained his composure, as Otake's loud shouts had surprised him. "Otake, what's wrong?"

The tiny robot shuffled his feet. "J-Jenny's mother is making an urgent call on the monitor phone. By urgent, she needs the both of you now!"

Kyo and Jenny looked at each other for a moment, then darted into a small room they had set aside for the device, alongside other things.

Dr. Wakeman's old visage was displayed on-screen. She was sweating, and it looked as though smoke was billowing around her.

Jenny was surprised when she found her mother looking overly distressed. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"XJ9," she began, occasionally coughing, "Vexus has launched a full-scale attack on Tremorton! Skyway Patrol and Misty are doing everything they can to hold them back, but it's a losing battle and we need - " The line went dead, and the monitor went blank.

Jenny held a hand over her mouth and slowly turned to Kyo, who had a worried expression upon his face.

"Kyo…I…we have to go now. I'm worried."

He nodded. "I know. So am I. Let's get ready right now."

The two hurried upstairs and grabbed their cloaks. Kyo's was black with red trim lining the collar and sleeves. Jenny's was blue with silver trim and no sleeves, whereas Kyo's reached his wrists.

With their cloaks on, Jenny and Kyo each quickly snatched their weapons from the closet. Kyo's black and white scythe, Thanatos, was perfectly crafted and razor-sharp. Jenny's katana, Erkeig, was just as expertly made and had blue and red coloring rather than Kyo's preferred combination.

"Otake, watch the house," Jenny said, and with that, she and her spouse teleported to Earth.

----

Once they arrived on the blue planet, the twin souls of Death made their way out of the forest and looked about. What they saw horrified them.

The entire city had gone up in flames. Screams could be heard everywhere alongside laser fire. Structures fell, as did people, and chaos dominated the originally quiet city.

Kyo closed his eyes. "Jen…I know that this is a personal matter for you."

Jenny, too scared to say anything, merely nodded as a single tear ran down her cheek.

"Go find Vexus. I'll put out the flames and take care of the soldiers." He laid a hand on her shoulder, kissed her, then sprouted his black feathery wings and took off.

Jenny didn't move for a few moments, as fear and sadness consumed her heart. It couldn't be happening. The city of her youth was burning to ashes in front of her eyes. People were dying. And her ultimate nemesis, Vexus, was behind it all. The emotions in her heart were quickly changing into rage. She sprouted her wings and flew to her mother's home.

There, she found the roof ablaze and collapsing. She looked towards the window to see a small figure pounding, pounding on it. Eventually, the figure fell as debris fell on top of her.

"Mother!" Jenny screamed. With haste, she broke through the window and found several burning pieces of wood laying on top of Nora. With a wind spell, the debris were lifted off of Nora, who was unconscious, and Jenny hoisted her mother onto her shoulder. With a water spell, the flames were extinguished and Jenny landed outside on the grass.

She inspected her mother's various injuries and treated the ones she could. She let out a sigh of relief. "She'll be okay…I'll have to get her to a hospital once this is over."

Jenny then flew downtown where utter horror awaited her. Bodies lay eviscerated on the streets and sidewalks. Carnage was splattered on buildings. And in the distance, in the ruins of a large skyscraper, the bodies of civilians were impaled on support beams – vertically.

All of these sights and horrible scenes made Jenny start panting. She felt sick to her stomach and vomited, kneeling over. It tasted horrible (she had taste sensors lining her mouth, and a stomach organ), and the taste caused Jenny to vomit yet again. After a few moments, she regained her composure and stood, trembling as she heard an evil cackle behind her.

She turned around to see the slim figure of Vexus standing behind her, grinning maliciously.

Jenny raised her katana and pointed it at the evil queen. "You," she said. "You'll pay for what you've done."

Vexus merely laughed. "Foolish XJ9. My world domination has only just begun. You shall fall to the might of the Cluster!"

"No. I'll never forgive you for this. I'll see to it that not even an atom of your existence remains after I kill you."

Vexus laughed again and charged at Jenny, only to be split in two by the wife of Death.

The queen laid on the ground, looking up at her adversary as oil spilled on the ground. "What…how…it's not possible…"

Jenny planted her foot firmly on Vexus' chest and pointed her katana at the Clusterian ruler's face. "You underestimate me. I've changed since we last fought. I'm not a little girl anymore. I've become…the wife of Death."

Vexus' pupils became small. "You…you're joking…YOU MUST BE JOKING!"

Jenny raised her sword and charged it with holy energy. With one swift stroke, she erased the evil queen's existence completely and left a large crater in the ground.

----

Some time later, after the flames had been doused and the surviving people were escorted to safety, Jenny sat on the ground with her head on her knees while Kyo tried to comfort her.

"Jen…" Kyoma stated, "it'll be okay…our friends are safe, and your mom's in the hospital in stable condition. Please don't cry."

Jenny sniffed, but didn't look up.

"Jen…please talk to me…"

Still no answer.

"Jenny…please, I love you." He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head.

She slowly looked up, teary-eyed and still very depressed. "Kyo…"

He pulled her closer to himself. He hushed her. "It's all gonna be okay, Jen."

The husband and wife watched the full moon loom over the now-quiet city, neither saying anything anymore.


	2. II

Chapter 2

On Cluster Prime, the beautiful queen Vexus sat in bed with her husband, Kage. The 26 year-old was beautiful, sleek, and had…large assets, to say the least. Her medium-length green hair with slightly spiked tips shimmered in the pale moonlight streaming through the window. Her green eyes were emeralds, beautifully crafted and set in her head.

But despite her beauty and the tranquility of her palace home, she was fretting about something.

"Hey, Vexy," Kage began, "what's wrong?" The alchemist originally from Amestris was youthful at the age of 21, and incredibly intelligent. His black hair touched his shoulders while a few bangs hung in front of his face. Kage's red eyes slightly glinted with the lamp light on the nightstand next to him. A small crop of black hair grew on his chin. Things that made him different from those around him were noticeable, namely his black automail right arm and left leg. Still, he was rather handsome. "Vexy, tell me what's bothering you, hm?"

She turned to him and smiled slightly, and snuggled close to him. "Well, my king, it's about Smytus…and what he said today."

"Smytus…Smytus…you mean the guy who was against our marriage?"

Vexus nodded. "Yes. And if you're wondering, he's the same man we dismissed from our army and rank of bodyguards in favor of that man Gilgamesh."

Kage nodded, understanding this.

"Anyways, I became troubled after Smytus' threat of assuming my image and destroying Jennifer's hometown."

"Jennifer? You mean Jenny, or XJ9, whoever you talked about when we met?"

"Precisely. Kay, I heard something from Gilgamesh about some of our soldiers and ships missing at the end of the day. Also, I checked my closet when we got home from dinner and put the children to bed, and in the box where I keep my old outfits, I noticed one of them was missing."

Kage raised his eyebrows at this and scratched his chin. "That can't be a coincidence. We may have to go check Tremorton tomorrow to make sure nothing happened."

Vexus nodded, albeit nervously. "Good. I'll have the chancellor take over duties tomorrow, and I'll inform the nursery to watch Alex, Vanessa, and Arelia."

Kage grinned and kissed his queen. "That sounds good. But it seems like something else is wrong."

The queen sighed. "If worst comes to worst, my love…I'll want to apologize to Jennifer for what happened. But how can I tell her that it wasn't really me?"

The alchemist patted her back. "We'll find a way, no matter what it might be, it'll work out." He took on a playful expression. "So…you wanna get busy tonight?"

Vexus laughed, purred, and pounced on him. The room began to heat up for the two shortly thereafter…

----

In the morning, after his daily preparations, Kage proceeded to a section of the palace reserved for the Clusterian Army's general. He entered the room and found Gilgamesh sitting at a table, polishing a sword.

The general was a large man, to say the least. He stood at no less than 9 feet tall with a muscular build that rivaled Adonis' physique. He wore rather extravagant red and gold clothing with a hood that covered most of his face. He had six arms with bulging biceps, each looking god-like in size and strength. His skin was tan, probably from many years of battle in the sun. He rose before Kage and bowed. "My king," he said in a robust voice, "what is it that you request?"

Kage grinned. He liked being called a king. "Well, Lord Gilgamesh, I came here to let you know that Vexy and I are going to be leaving for a bit. We have some…business that needs to be taken care of."

Gilgamesh cocked an eyebrow. "This wouldn't have anything to do with that Smytus fellow's threat from the other day, would it my liege?"

Kage sighed. "Vexus is worried he carried it out. One of her old outfits was missing, alongside the soldiers you mentioned."

"Sir, if this is the case, allow me to accompany you."

The red-eyed alchemist shook his head. "Sorry, but I need you to be on guard while we're gone. Vexus has already arranged something for the kids, and the chancellor is assuming duties for the time being."

Gilgamesh grunted. "Very well, my king. I'll defend this planet with my life!" He let out a hearty laugh, slapped Kage on the back, making him groan, the left to the barracks.

----

"How are mama's little angels today?"

Vexus picked up each of her squirming 1 year-old triplets from their crib and hugged them. Her little boy, Alex, looked mostly like this father but had his mother's green hair. He had two robotic legs and one robotic arm while the rest of him was human. He was cute, with red eyes that were gentle and held no ill will towards humanity.

His sisters, Vanessa and Arelia, were also very cute. Vanessa's hair was black, whereas Arelia's was purple. Both girls had green, catlike eyes that shone with the radiance of the stars. Both had mechanical arms and a single mechanical leg.

Vexus and Kage loved their children very much, giving them only the best care and love parents could. The babies were happy and loved crawling around, and Alex had recently learned to walk.

The queen sniffed as a tear escaped her eye. These babies always brought back the painful memory of Vega's assassination which had occurred not too long ago. She felt that she had failed with her last daughter, but with Alex, Vanessa, and Arelia, Vexus had sworn to take every precaution as a mother and let no harm come to her infants.

Vexus smiled at her babies and carried them downstairs to the nursery where robotic nannies zipped about. She placed her kids in a crib and promptly informed the head nanny that she would be leaving. With a final farewell and kisses to her children, Vexus left to tell the chancellor of her departure.

----

The king and queen sat together in a Clusterian ship, patiently awaiting their arrival at Tremorton's newly-crafted space port.

Kage couldn't help but admire his wife's outfit. She had stopped wearing her headdress to expose her gorgeous hair, and instead of her standard yellow and green apparel, she had begun to wear a black and red one that had no sleeves. There were no stripes, only a few red streaks here and there while the rest of the outfit was black. Her gloves were sleek and reached just past her wrists, while her boots rose just under her knee. She was stunning, to say the least.

Kage's apparel had changed too. He wore an unzipped red jacket with long sleeves and a black buttoned shirt with no sleeves. His pants were also black, just like his shoes. He wore no gloves, as he was capable of using flame alchemy without the specially made pair that one would normally use in order to perform the type of alchemy.

Vexus turned to her husband. "Kage, is something wrong?"

He blushed. "U-Uh, no…I was just admiring how good you look."

She smiled and kissed him. "Thank you, Kay. But it seems like you're worried."

He frowned. "It's about that Jennifer girl you mentioned. I've been thinking of a way so that you could apologize to her, but I can't come up with anything."

"Don't worry, honey. I've already devised a plan."

Kage nodded, and the two waited for their arrival on Earth.


	3. III

Chapter 3

Ryota Kazuma Strife.

A former student at Balamb Garden. He had mastered and learned everything that was possible for a Final Fantasy fighter to learn. Be it magic, job classes, or skills, anything at all, he had learned and mastered it. The 21 year-old was powerful, had every weapon, piece of equipment, recovery item, and so on and so forth. He had a very large house with 3 stories and a basement, alongside a hangar which housed full-scale working replicas of every airship in the Fantasian planet system. He lived with his girlfriend, Reiko, and 20 moogles. He was known by many as the top Fantasian student in the history of his planet. He received a monthly salary of 1 million gil. Ryota had even traveled to the other Fantasian planets to further train himself.

But he hated all the attention.

Sure, he was Cloud Strife's grandson. He had obtained the New Tsurugi by inheritance, but still, the unwanted attention by every damned person on the planet grew annoying. He didn't leave the house much, as he was very lazy and would only go to the store for supplies or to a restaurant, and occasionally a date with Reiko. But all in all, he was bored.

As for today, he laid on the roof of his house, watching the clouds drift by without a care in the world.

"I'm bored," he mumbled to himself. "Wonder if Reiko got up yet."

It was noon. He hopped off the roof and landed firmly on the ground with nary a scratch nor broken bone. He walked inside and went upstairs. He opened the door to Reiko's room but didn't find her in bed. It was a mess, with pillows and blankets strewn about, but she wasn't present. He checked her closet and bathroom, but Reiko was nowhere to be found.

He left her room to the living room on the first floor. There he found her sitting on the couch, watching TV while moogles napped around her.

"There you are," Ryota said. "I was looking for you."

Reiko looked up and grinned. "I'm pretty elusive, aren't I Ryo?" Ryota's girlfriend was a year younger than him. She was blonde. Not mentally, though, for she was actually very intelligent. She was beautiful. Her hair was fairly short, tied in a ponytail at the back that reached just past her shoulders. Reiko had blue eyes, ones that were sweet and full of innocence. She had an attractive hourglass frame with a DD-cup chest and a smaller waist, perfectly sized. She wore a black and red sleeveless top with a black skort, alongside shoes that had the same colors as her shirt. She had been Ryota's girlfriend for 6 years.

Ryota chuckled and sat next to her, snatching the remote from a moogle sitting next to his girlfriend.

"Kupo," it complained.

"Settle down Mog," Ryota said, patting him on the head.

"Kupo-po…" Mog was a very cute moogle, and Ryota's best friend. His red pom-pom was fuzzy, just like with the rest of his body. His white fur was neatly groomed, even the large mane around his neck. He was rather chubby, but then again, all moogles were, and he was no different.

"Ryo, I've got a question for you," Reiko said flirtatiously, cuddling close to him.

"Here we go," Ryota said boredly.

"When are you gonna marry me?"

"Reiko, we've been through this a thousand times. I need to find a nice ring, and when the time's right, I'll propose. But not now."

She sighed. "Fine…lazy. By the way, haven't you noticed how quiet it's become since Kage left and got married?"

"Yeah, you're right. Last time we saw him was at his wedding. But anyways, whaddya wanna do today?"

"Let's go to the mall."

"But we went there yesterday."

"I forgot to buy something."

"What?"

"That wireless Flying V Guitar Hero controller."

Ryota shook his head. "…Alright. Lemme go get Fenrir…I'll meet you outside."

Reiko let out a squeal of delight, kissed Ryota, then darted out the front door.

----

Within the hour, Ryota had parked his motorcycle, and he, Reiko, and Mog had made their way to the mall's elevator.

It towered high above the city, as many of its building did, and the two looked out through the glass at the bustling city of Cornelia.

"I've never really noticed how nice it looks," Reiko commented. "It's actually - " She was cut off by the sound of thunder.

Ryota cocked an eyebrow. "The hell…? There's hardly a cloud in the sky." At this, clouds formed in the sky, creating a single opening. "Speak of the devil…"

Out of the hole, lightning rained upon the city, bringing monsters with it.

"Shit!" Ryota exclaimed. "Reiko, let's go!"

She nodded confidently, and the three bursted out of the glass. While in midair, Reiko pulled her gloves out of thin air while Ryota and Mog did the same with their New Tsurugi and Gungnir, respectively. The three flew towards the center of downtown, uncertain of the dangers ahead of them…


	4. IV

Chapter 4

It was morning, and Kyoma groggily opened his eyes. He saw Jenny sleeping, snuggled against his chest. He gently shook her shoulder, and she awoke, albeit reluctantly.

"Morning," he said.

She smiled back at him. "Good morning, my love."

"Did you sleep alright? Is everything okay now?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I'm not upset anymore. Thanks so much for how you helped me last night."

"You're welcome. Wanna go visit your mom today?"

Jenny nodded. "Sure. I think we oughta let her know that we're expecting."

He chuckled. "Alright, let's get ready for the day."

Kyo picked up his blushing bride and carried her to the bathroom.

----

Elsewhere, Kage and Vexus had checked into a rather extravagant hotel and had already finished their daily preparations.

Kage flipped through a few pages of his alchemy book as he waited for Vexus to gather her things.

She walked into the den of their suite, carrying a suitcase. "Ready?"

He looked up. "Yeah." He then eyed her luggage, grinning. "Do you always have to bring so much with you every time we leave home?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "Do you have to bring that book with you everywhere you go?"

Chuckling, Kage grabbed his small bag of provisions and followed her out of the hotel.

----

"Well, the damage isn't catastrophic, but it's still an unpleasant sight," the Clusterian queen stated, examining a few buildings as she and her husband walked about Tremorton.

Kage nodded. "Well, you're right. Still, it's amazing the firefighters put out the flames so quickly. Based on the damage…I'd say it was extinguished about 5 to 10 minutes after it started."

Vexus looked at him curiously. "How can you make such a detailed observation just by looking at the damage?"

He grinned. "Alchemic studies are a wonderful thing. I'll have to teach you about it sometime."

The queen sighed and shook her head. "You and alchemy…they're practically synonyms. At any rate, my suspicions are confirmed. Smytus carried out his threat. Now we need to find Jennifer…"

The two continued walking about the downtown section of Tremorton.

----

Jenny and Kyoma had finally left the hospital and were going to walk about downtown.

They were amidst scores of people who hustled and bustled about. The husband and wife had made their death-dealing right arms revert to normal so as to avoid unwanted attention and unnecessary deaths.

Jenny looked about the city's structures. Not much damage had befallen them, as it seemed that Kyo had doused the flames before the aforementioned circumstances occurred. He was a smart one alright. He was, after all, Death.

Suddenly, Jenny felt a familiar presence in the air. She looked around the crowds and gasped when she saw the familiar figure.

She had green hair, and emerald eyes. She had a sleek, slender appearance. The surprise hit Jenny like a ton of bricks. It couldn't be true. Jenny killed her just the previous night…it couldn't possibly be…

Vexus?

Jenny immediately felt weak and fell to the ground. She began to breathe heavily, fearful in the queen's presence.

Kyoma noticed this and quickly assisted her. "Jenny, what's wrong? Jenny? Jenny!"

She shook, and slowly raised her arm to point at her nemesis. "L-Look…there…"

He did as she said, and saw Vexus. "That's not possible! You told me you killed her!"

The frightened 24 year-old nodded. "I know…"

Something caught Kage's eye as he and his wife strolled about the scores of people. He saw a beautiful blue-haired woman pointing at his wife.

"Hey Vexy," he said, getting her attention, "someone you know?"

She turned her head to see the same woman her husband had seen. Her pupils shrunk when she saw her. "That…that's…Jenny? Jennifer, wait!"

Jenny was paralyzed with fear as Vexus and the man with her approached her. "Stay away!" she said frightfully, trying to back away. "I'll never forgive you for what you did!"

The queen sighed, and slowly approached her former adversary. "Jennifer, please give me a chance to explain…"

----

Before she knew it, Jenny and her husband were seated comfortably in the sitting room of Cluster Prime's palace. It was…different, to say the least. Jenny could feel no evil energy about the palace, much less the room. Even Vexus' own dark energy had disappeared. But the bride of death was still uneasy of her predicament.

Vexus and her husband sat across from the two. The queen looked upset, but the king had his nose in a very thick book.

The robot queen cleared her throat. "Jennifer, allow me to explain - "

"What's there to explain?" Jenny interrupted. "You killed so many of my old friends, and tried to burn my former home to the ground!" Tears formed in her eyes.

Vexus sighed. "Please, just listen to me, if only for a moment. The person you saw last night wasn't me. It was Smytus, assuming my identity."

Jenny shook her head as she cried. "Sure, blame it on your subordinate. Do you really expect me to believe that crap?"

Kyoma tried to comfort her. "Jen, just give her a chance. What if she's telling the truth?"

Vexus nodded in agreement. "Jennifer, come with me."

Having received a gentle push of encouragement from her husband, Jenny nervously and cautiously followed the queen. They walked away from the sitting room, leaving the men to chat, and they entered an elevator.

Jenny folded her arms and looked out the glass elevator's window. The city was beautiful now, and it seemed that humans walked among robots. Gone were the days of robot superiority and dominance, and in their stead there was peace and civility.

"Jenny," Vexus began, "although I think you won't believe me, I'm a changed woman. I'm no longer against you. Cluster Prime is a peaceful place now."

Jenny avoided Vexus' gaze. "Sure you are…"

"That man you saw me with, Kage, has truly helped turn my life around. He loves me, and I love him right back. On top of that…Vega…died recently…it affected me terribly."

The angel of death didn't respond, but felt a pain in her heart. Vega was one of her best friends. Jenny felt that she could relate. If she were to lose her unborn child or children…she might not ever recover. Perhaps Vexus was telling the truth.

The elevator finally reached its destination, and Jenny and Vexus walked into the nursery. Jenny was curious as to why this was their destination. She could see two baby girls sleeping in a crib, along with a little boy waddling about. It seemed that he had just learned to walk, as his movements were unsteady and he occasionally fell down.

"Hello sweetie," Vexus said, picking up the boy and hugging him. "Mommy missed you…"

Jenny couldn't help but giggle a bit. She never pictured Vexus acting so affectionate around anyone.

The child squirmed about in his mother's arms. "Mama!" he said cutely.

Vexus poked at him with her finger. "That's right, I'm your mama!"

Jenny walked up and looked at the baby girls in the crib. They were beautiful, sleeping peacefully. She sighed. "I hope my babies are as cute as this. What are your kids' names?"

Vexus turned and smiled, still holding her son. "Alex, Vanessa, and Arelia. Vanessa is the one with black hair, and Arelia's hair is purple."

The blue robot nodded, then blushed. "Y'know…Kyo and I are expecting. It's been two weeks."

"Really? Well, good for you." She walked closer to Jenny and put Alex with his sisters. "I would do anything for these children of mine. I feel like I failed with Vega, but…dammit, I'll see to it that these children don't suffer the same fate."

Jenny finally saw it. Vexus had changed. She was telling the truth about the incident that occurred the previous night. Now the busty blue robot felt guilty about not giving the queen a chance to explain anything.

"Vexus…"

"Yes?"

A tear ran down Jenny's cheek. "I…I'm sorry for not listening to you earlier. I really should have done so…I feel horrible about it."

Vexus grinned, glad that her former adversary was finally opening up. "It's alright, Jennifer. I understand, and I forgive you."

The girl of blue smiled. "I really see that you've changed. I'm sorry for blaming last night's accident on you. I see the truth now."

The queen nodded. "Thank you for understanding." She extended her hand. "Why don't we put the past behind us, and start over as…friends?"

Jenny giggled as she took Vexus' hand and shook. "Friends."

----

Ryota surveyed his surroundings as he stood on top of a fallen monster. He, Reiko, and Mog were already surrounded as it was, and more monsters just kept coming.

"Ryo!" Reiko called out, snapping the neck of an Iron Giant. "What's our status?"

"Not good," he responded, readying his New Tsurugi. "They just keep coming!"

Mog fluttered over to him with his tiny wings. "Kupo!"

Ryota snapped his fingers. "Great thinking. Keep 'em busy, the both of you." He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number. "Hello?"

"_Kupo_?" a female moogle voice answered.

"Mag, listen to me carefully."

"_Kupo-po_."

"Tell all of the other moogles to get ready. There's a lot of trouble down here and I need all of you to defend the house in case things get ugly."

"_Po_."

"Alright. I'll tell Mog you said that. So do everything right now."

"_Kupo_?"

"Oh yeah, I need you to come around with the Highwind. Make sure it's ready for space travel, and fly over the center of downtown. That's where you'll pick us up."

"_Po_!"

He hung up, and immediately rejoined the fight. "Mag's on the way!" he announced. "She'll be here in a few minutes!"

Reiko and Mog each let out a sigh of relief.

When Reiko turned around, she saw a Stilva behind her. As it struck with one of its legs, she managed to grab it and tear it off cleanly at the knee. While it screamed in pain, the girl took the chance to cast a Blizzaga spell, which froze the beast in its tracks. Reiko finished it off with a swift kick, shattering it to pieces. She grabbed the monster's previously removed leg and hurled it like a spear at an Amduscias flying overhead. The winged demon horse was gored by the leg and fell to the ground, dead.

Meanwhile, Mog leaped over an attacking Nova Dragon high into the air, spear in tow. The monster wasn't foolish, as it quickly followed its intended dinner.

Mog looked down at the dragon and extended his wings so as to allow for easier maneuverability as he jumped multiple times in the air. As the moogle reached the apex of his jump, and as the monster closed in, opening its maw, Mog pointed his spear downward and shot straight through the dragon, emerging through the tail.

He landed on the ground, drenched in blood, as the monster exploded high above from the force of Mog's Jump attack.

Ryota was having a bit of an easier time with his predicament. Despite the fact that a Behemoth and Brachiosaur lumbered after him, Ryota teleported behind the first monster and promptly removed its head with a single swing of his powerful sword.

The Brachiosaur continued to pursue him, but the Fantasian held his ground and prepared for an attack. He charged his energy and rushed forward.

"CLIMHAZZARD!" Ryota shouted as he stabbed the creature, then darted upwards, cleaving the monster in twain.

Ryota landed on top of a skyscraper after having used his Limit Break. He looked overhead. "Where the hell is Mag?"

At that, a shadow overcast the center of the city. It eventually stopped, and descended closer to the trio's position.

Reiko looked up as she stood next to Mog. "The Highwind! Let's go!"

She and the moogle flew towards the deck, as did Ryota, and they all landed safely upon it as it climbed higher and higher into the sky, eventually reaching the stratosphere.

Inside the ship, Ryota let out a sigh of relief as he, his girlfriend, and best friend walked to the cockpit.

They saw a female moogle with a pink pom-pom on her head. "Kupo!" she greeted, setting the ship on autopilot and running towards Mog. The two nuzzled noses and proceeded to their seats in the front part of the cockpit.

Ryota smiled. "Those two…they're inseparable."

Reiko walked up to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Just like us. So, where to now?"

Ryota took the controls. "There are too many monsters to fight between the three of us. We need to get to Cluster Prime and get Kage to help us devise a plan. Hopefully the citizens of Cornelia and the moogles can stem the flow of monsters until then…"

Prepared for space travel, the airship flew off into the final frontier, headed towards the planet ruled by the alchemist and his robot wife.


	5. V

Chapter 5

"…So that's everything?" Vexus asked Jenny, who had just finished explaining the last 8 years of her and Kyo's life.

The bride of Death nodded. "Yeah, that just about covers it. Now, here we are today, still happily married, madly in love, and I'm two weeks pregnant."

Kage raised his eyebrows. "Interesting…so, just to make sure I understand this, you and Kyo are Death?"

"Yeah," Kyoma responded. "You've got it right. And we're more than happy with the way our lives are now."

Kage looked out the window. "That's good to hear. Vexy and I are pretty content too…we just want to see what the future holds for our family and this city."

Vexus nodded. "He's right." She turned to Jenny. "Jennifer…I'm curious to see these new powers of yours. Care to duel?"

Jenny sighed pensively. "Well…seeing as how we don't have to be anywhere, why not?"

Vexus smiled and the four walked to the arena.

----

As they entered the room, Jenny saw an unusually tall man standing at a dummy, holding a sword. With what looked like one strike, the dummy was sliced into tiny pieces which burst into flame from the force brought upon by the cuts.

He turned to face the group and gave a wide grin. "My king and queen! Might I ask who your guests are?"

Kage stepped forward. "Gilgamesh, meet Jenny and Kyoma Isawa. Jenny and Kyo, this is Gilgamesh, our army general and bodyguard."

Gilgamesh offered his hand, and Jenny and Kyoma each took it apprehensively. "Don't worry, I won't bite!" he said, laughing.

Kyoma chuckled nervously while Jenny nodded and smiled.

"I'll leave you all to your business," the general said, leaving. "Farewell, Jenny and Kyo Isawa!"

Kage smirked and shook his head. "Not too graceful in greeting new people, are you Gilgamesh? Ah well. Kyo, come with me."

Jenny and Vexus proceeded forward while the king and Death entered an observation chamber.

Jenny stared at Vexus confidently. "Let's see what you've got!" She threw her arm out in front of herself, and Erkeig materialized in her grasp.

Vexus eyed her sword. "Impressive blade. I prefer something with a bit more…finesse." She opened her hand, and a hole appeared in her palm. A rapier with a blood red blade and purple hilt in the shape of devil wings came out. A bright emerald rested in the hilt's center.

Jenny scratched her chin. "Well, I've always pictured you as the classy type, so it's appropriate. Does it have a name?"

Vexus nodded. "Femme Fatale. And yours?"

"Erkeig."

"Ah. Well then, en garde!"

The two readied themselves. Vexus shuffled her feet back and forth quickly, while also holding her rapier with one hand and putting her other on her hip.

Jenny gripped her katana tightly and held it in front of herself. She stood confidently, staring at her opponent with unwavering eyes.

Vexus darted forward and let loose a flurry of stabs on Jenny. All were deflected, and the latter countered with a quick slice that just nicked Vexus' shoulder.

The queen slashed at Jenny a few times, only to have her attacks deflected yet again. She attempted a feint attack which didn't work, as Jenny anticipated the bluff and cut Vexus' shin.

She jumped back. "Your skills are impressive, Jennifer. I'll have to step up my efforts." She rushed forward and clashed with Jenny again, then, as she was off-guard, spun to the side and cut Jenny's shoulder. She did this again and slashed her back, then performed the maneuver once more and cut Jenny's right shoulder. She jumped away at the end of this.

Jenny's wounds quickly healed, and she went on the offensive again. The two clashed furiously, blocking each other's attacks, but the bride of Death finally overcame her opponent's efforts and knocked her off balance. She followed this up with two quick slashes that left an X-shape wound in Vexus' stomach.

Not competent with her performance, Vexus grit her pointed teeth and countered Jenny's attacks, sending her flying towards the wall.

Jenny righted herself in midair and sprung off the wall to land in front of the queen.

"Light Arrow!" she shouted. A beam of light formed and flew towards Vexus quickly.

"Damn," she stated, clapping her hands together and placing them on the ground. A wall erupted from the floor and blocked Jenny's spell. Vexus quickly cut the wall into pieces to see a very surprised blue robot.

"What was that?" she questioned, awestruck.

"Just a little something Kage taught me," Vexus replied. "Though I may not entirely understand it all, alchemy is a very useful thing. Now you know there's more to me than meets the eye."

----

Ryota yawned as the Highwind flew over the massive city on Cluster Prime. Though it had taken several hours of tedious, uneventful space travel, he, Reiko, Mog, and Mag had finally arrived at their intended destination.

Reiko looked out the cockpit window. "Huh…hasn't changed much since their wedding."

Mog nodded. "Kupo."

The airship reached the palace's landing pad. It landed on the platform, which descended into the hangar.

The bottom hatch opened, and the group walked out. They were greeted by Gilgamesh.

"Welcome to King Kage and Queen Vexus' palace, strangers!" he greeted in a hearty voice.

Ryota's jaw dropped. "LORD GILGAMESH OF FANTASIA V?!"

Gilgamesh looked at him, somewhat confused. "Why…yes, I am, lad…why the shock?"

Ryota was still star-struck. "Sorry, it's just that I never though I'd see you here…why is that?"

The giant man beamed. "The king and queen hired me as their bodyguard and army general!"

The Fantasian student grinned. "I see. You came here on your own accord?"

"That would be correct. After the destruction of Exdeath on my home planet, I had not much else to do, so I traveled the galaxy and made my way here. I proved myself to the king and queen, and the rest is history."

"Huh…you know, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to challenge you sometime."

Gilgamesh laughed. "Ha ha ha! It would be an interesting bout, lad! I like you! Now, could you inform me as to why you've come?"

"We need to see Kage. We go back a few years."

The general nodded, and led them to the elevator. They reached the arena's observation room within a minute's passing, and there they found the king, accompanied by Kyoma. Gilgamesh left them to their discussion.

"Kage!" Ryota greeted. "What the hell has been going on lately?"

The alchemist grinned. "Not much, just ruling a planet and keeping peace throughout. You know, the usual. And you?"

"That's why we've come here. It's something we need to discuss." Ryota turned to Kyoma. "Who's the new guy? Is he a robot or something?"

Kage motioned for Kyoma to come over. "Ryo, Reiko, Mog, Mag, meet Death himself."

Ryota, Reiko, and the moogles immediately backed away, cowering in fear. Mog and Mag hid behind their human friends, trying to avoid being seen by the one responsible for sending spirits to the afterlife.

Kyoma chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't bite. You won't die instantly by just touching me, I'm capable of negating that effect." He offered his hand.

Mog, gaining some courage, cautiously stepped forward and sniffed Kyoma's hand, then placed his paw upon it and shook.

Death smiled. "Hey there, little guy. What's your name?"

"Kupo."

"…What?"

"That's all he can say," said Ryota. Kyoma looked up to see him and his girlfriend, and could understand why they were together. The young man had short black hair that spiked backwards. His eyes were the same color as his hair, and his clothes were too. He wore a shirt that had some sort of silver lion insignia on it. The shirt had one sleeve on the right side, and one shoulder pad on that side. His pants and boots were black, and he had a sort of skirt that reached his shins, and it was open in the front. "His name's Mog. I'm Ryota."

Kyo shook his hand. "I'm Kyoma. Nice to meet you. Who's the lovely lady?"

"I'm Reiko," she said, stepping forward, "and this is Mag."

The female moogle waved shyly.

Ryota diverted his attention to Kage. "So, what are you doing?"

The alchemist turned. "Hm? Oh, Kyo and I were watching our wives spar. Care to join me?"

The 21 year-old Fantasian shrugged and walked to the window. "Who's the blue-haired chick?"

"That would be my wife," Kyoma responded. "Her name's Jenny. You'll be able to meet her later."

Meanwhile, Jenny and Vexus continued to fight ferociously. Jenny had numerous cuts, gashes, and stab wounds, whereas Vexus had the same, only fewer.

The latter leapt about, still filled with energy. "It seems that you are still in need of improvement, though your skills are admirable. As for now, are you ready to surrender?"

Jenny panted, but snickered. "Sorry, but I don't give up so easily. This is barely what I'm capable of." At this, a blue energy formed over her right arm. The strange aura whipped and thrashed about for a few moments, then settled to take on an appearance similar to a calm blue flame. Then, feathery wings of the same color sprouted from her back. Each one was slightly shorter than twice the length of her body. A gentle blue light enveloped her, and her wounds were healed.

Needless to say, the queen was surprised. "So this is the true power of Death…? Very well. Now you'll see my true potential." She closed her eyes, and at that moment, the air around her started to heat up. Steam shot out of her mouth, and it looked like her clothes were being singed. She opened her eyes and prepared herself as steam continued to emanate from her body.

Jenny cocked an eyebrow. "What's this?"

"Hyperdrive. It allows for greater performance in all aspects, but only lasts for ten minutes. After that I black out."

The bride of Death nodded. "This oughta make things more interesting."

The two charged at each other and clashed blades. Jenny gained the upper hand and quickly knocked her opponent away, then followed that up with several quick slices across Vexus' chest and stomach.

The queen inhaled sharply, but nanobots in her systems repaired the damage within seconds. After this, she unleashed a flurry of stabs on Jenny, all of which missed her barely.

Jenny made a few hand signs and cried, "Raging Thunder!" Several bolts of lightning rained down upon Vexus, but she teleported out of harm's way. She retaliated with a flaming cut that burned Jenny's arm and left a gaping wound which bled furiously.

Both women rushed at each other again and began attacking rapidly. Loud clangs could be heard throughout the room and from far away. Neither woman gained an inch, though.

After some time, Jenny backed away and readied herself. "I'll finish this with one more attack!"

Vexus nodded. "Very well. Let this end it!"

The Clusterian and blue robot darted towards each other once more, steadily increasing their speed and focusing all their energy into one strike until…

ZING!!

Neither woman moved. It seemed as if time froze, unwilling to resume its regular flow.

However, within mere moments, both women passed out and fell to the ground with a loud bang.


	6. VI

Chapter 6

Jenny slowly opened her eyes. She felt sore all over her body, and found herself laying on the couch, located in the palace's den.

Kyoma appeared before her. "Hey Jen. How d'you feel?"

She eased herself into a sitting position, wincing as she did so. "Really sore…"

He kissed her atop the head. "Ah well. You were out cold for a while. I think you pushed yourself too hard during your match."

She smiled weakly. "I know…" At this, she looked around the room and saw Ryota, Reiko, and Mog. "Who are they?"

Ryota waved. "My name's Ryota Kage Hayami. This is Reiko, Mog, and Mag. Nice to meet you, Miss Jenny."

"Nice to meet you too, but…how do you know my name?"

"Kyo told us," Reiko replied. "We were watching you fight Vexus?"

Jenny was confused. "How do you know Vexus?"

"Kage's a friend of ours," Ryota answered. "Reiko and the moogles and I met Vexus on their wedding day."

Jenny nodded. "Where are you from?"

"Fantasia. It's part of a star system of sorts with sixteen other planets. It's not far from here or Earth."

"Wow." She turned to Kyoma. "Did you already tell them about how we came to be this way?"

Her husband nodded. "Yep. They didn't get it at first, but after some reiteration they understood."

Jenny smiled. "Okay. Where's Vexus? Is she okay?"

"Right here," the queen said, entering the room. "Yes, I'm fine. The worst I received was a rather large gash in my side from that final strike, but Kage easily corrected it." She kissed her husband. "You received a similar wound, but it didn't harm your babies, if you're curious."

Jenny let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear."

"Yes. Oh, and before I forget, the doctors used an ultrasound on you."

"An ultrasound? But it's too early to tell how many kids I'm gonna have."

Vexus grinned. "Not on Cluster Prime it isn't. Our technology is even more advanced than Earth's, which is no easy feat to top, believe me. Back to the subject, we found that you are pregnant with quadruplets."

Everyone in the room other than the king and queen froze, a look of unrivaled shock upon their faces.

"Four…kids?" Jenny and Kyoma inquired in unison. "At the same time?!"

Kage nodded. "Precisely. Don't worry, Vexy had triplets and pulled through without a hitch. If you're truly concerned, then when the time comes, our doctors can help you deliver the babies. Of course that's still eight and a half months away, but I just thought I'd tell you that. And they'll do it free of charge."

Jenny smiled and rubbed her still-mostly flat stomach. Though she did feel nervous, joy coursed through her systems at the prospect of having four beautiful children to love, nurture, and cradle in her arms, protecting from all harm. "My babies…"

Kyoma grinned and wrapped an arm around her. "Our family, Jen."

She gazed into his eyes lovingly, and the twin souls of death shared a passionate kiss.

Ryota couldn't help but crack a smile as he watched the lovers kiss.

His girlfriend did the same, but then looked at Ryota. "Ryo, don't forget why we're here."

He shook his head. "Oh, nearly forgot." He looked at Kage. "Kage, we've come to discuss an urgent matter."

The alchemist paid full attention. "Continue."

Ryota cleared his throat. "Earlier today, Reiko, Mog, and I were downtown back home. It was sunny when we left, but shortly after we got to the mall, clouds formed and made this weird hole in the sky. Then a bunch of monsters fell out of it and started attacking the city. The three of us held 'em back for a while, but they just kept coming so I had Mag come pick us up in the Highwind. We're hoping that the Garden students and military can pacify the threat for the time being, and I let the moogles at home know that they need to watch the house."

Kage pondered about this for a moment. "And what do you propose we do about it?"

"Well, we need the help of the Cluster army to fight off the monsters. Also, there's the matter of finding out exactly what's behind this."

The king nodded. "Do realize that we can't immediately take action. This will require considerable amounts of planning and precautionary measures."

"I know."

"Good," Vexus said, intervening. "In the meantime, we've prepared bedrooms for you, Reiko, and the moogles."

Kyo stepped forward. "Jenny and I will give all the help we can."

His wife agreed. "Exactly. We're more than capable of assisting you guys."

Ryota chuckled. "Thanks a lot." He looked out the window and noticed that the sky was unusually dark for the afternoon, and the clouds gathered to form a hole much like the one on Fantasia. "Oh god…everyone, look outside NOW!"

They did, and the blood red sky of madness expelled monsters unto the city below. Chaos immediately began to erupt.

Vexus gritted her teeth. "Kage, inform Gilgamesh immediately!"

The alchemist had already hurriedly run off to alert the military commander about the matter at hand. Vexus darted towards the elevator with him, and Rota, Reiko, Mog, and Mag teleported into the city. Jenny and Kyoma followed suit without hesitation.

----

A man draped in extravagant clothing surveyed a holographic map hovering in front of himself. A devilish smirk came upon his face as he saw a planet displayed upon it, labeled Cluster Prime, flashed bright red, signifying an initiating attack upon it. He swirled about a glass of red wine in one hand and took a generous sip from it.

"In a matter of time," he said to himself, "Vexus will pay the ultimate price for deserting me."

Another man in soldier garb entered the room and kneeled before the first. "Lord Revan."

The latter turned to face his follower. "What is it you require?"

"The test subject's slave crown has been prepared. He is currently unconscious and we are awaiting you to verify the neurological input."

Revan followed his subordinate down several hallways into a darkened room. There he saw his test subject.

He was a young man, about twenty years old. His eyes were open, but there was no response from him when Revan and his soldier entered. The young man's hair was spiked in the front, and spiked back as well. The color of his hair was the same color as his eyes – blood red. He wore a black business suit with the shirt unbuttoned. Under that, he wore a crimson shirt and a black tie.

Revan grinned upon his work, and picked up a small circlet from the wall. He placed it upon the man's head, and at this, his head snapped up. He rose from his chair with a blank expression, devoid of any life or vibrancy.

"Excellent," Revan said simply. "You will do only as I say. You won't even be able to breathe without consent from me or the general. Do you understand…Alastor?"

He didn't respond.

"Good. Now, be on your way."

With a flick of his wrist, Alastor was led away by the soldier who had accompanied Revan.

----

Kyoma looked about the legions of monsters all around him, his wife, Vexus, her husband, and the Fantasians. The beasts were like nothing Kyoma had ever seen before, making the villains he and Jenny used to fight look like mere child's playthings in the presence of these menacing entities.

Still, he was prepared for the onslaught, and gripped his scythe tightly. He charged at several Iron Giants and beheaded them with one fell swipe. After that, several Omegas marched towards him and fired energy cannons and missiles at him. Kyoma cleaved the missiles in twain and teleported out of harm's way, then let loose a lightning-quick flurry of slices upon the robots. They all exploded and left nothing more than a pile of scrap metal behind.

Though she still felt sore, Jenny was capable of holding her own amidst the scores of enemies all around her and the others. A Shinryu let out a fearsome roar and flew towards Jenny, opening its gaping maw, ready to sink its razor-sharp teeth into her body. Not having enough time to dodge, Jenny blocked the attack and held the beast's mouth open with her free hand and one foot. She pushed it open further and further until the Shinryu's jaw sapped, making it howl in pain. Jenny used this opportunity to ram her blade in the dragon's skull, then sliced it in half cleanly all the way down to the tip of its tail.

Kage sniggered as several Ice Titans approached. With a quick snap of his fingers, they were reduced to mere puddles by the intense heat generated by his flame alchemy.

This, however, left him open for an attack by a Coeurl, which jumped onto him and bit on his right arm. The Coeurl, however, jumped back immediately, opening its mouth to reveal broken and chipped teeth, accompanied by plenty of blood.

The red-eyed alchemist transmuted his right arm into a blade and stepped forward. "Can't get a good bite? Lemme help with the pain." He plunged his right hand blade into the beast's spine and twisted, instantly ending its life.

Ryota and Reiko had been teaming up to dispatch their foes with ease. This proved effective, as they had already slain twenty Behemoths, fifty-six Dragon Zombies, legions of Wicked Masks, and a hefty amount of Chimera. Now they had progressed to fighting three Black Dragons, and all three were badly injured.

The two had used this as an opportunity to get on either side of the dragons. They prepared themselves and ran straight past the enemies. Once they reached each other, Ryota swung his blade at the back of Reiko's gauntlet, which had a Materia plate.

In unison, they cried "AXE BOMBER!" and created an explosion which enveloped their enemies and left nothing behind.

Mog and Mag confidently stood before a small unit of Tonberries. The female moogle cast Float on her male partner, and he jumped high above the tiny monsters. He pointed his Gungnir downwards and plummeted into the center of the mob. Upon impact with the ground, hundreds of spears rained from the sky and impaled the menacing midget monsters.

Vexus flew on top of a building, having just dispatched a few foes of her own. With a zoom of her telescopic eyes, she saw the Clusterian army vanquishing much of the threat. Gilgamesh was making a large effort as well.

"Good," she said, relieved. "It's almost over." But just as she finished her sentence, a red pillar composed of what looked like blood descended from the clouds. A young man emerged from it. He had devilish red wings and soared over the buildings until he reached the group's position.

Vexus leapt off the building she was stationed on and touched the ground, right next to her husband. The two and the others watched as the new arrival stepped forward.

"One on one combat," he said in a dull voice. "You shall all die."

"I'll be your opponent," Ryota said, stepping forward and placing his New Tsurugi on his back. He donned his Ehrgeiz gloves and assumed his battle stance. "Guys, don't get in the way. This'll be over in five minutes at most!"


	7. VII

Chapter 7

Ryota stood before his crimson-haired adversary and sniggered. "Bring it."

The young man let his arms hang limply at his side, slightly swaying in the wind. "Insolent fool. Your cocky attitude shall be your ultimate downfall. Prepare to lose…everything."

The Fantasian prodigy shook his head. "Sorry, but I don't plan on dying anytime soon. One of grandpa's friends told me that if I did, he'd drag me back from hell and kill me himself. So don't think I'll just stand here idly and let you win."

The man started running forward. "Enough talk. The fight starts now." He took a swing at Ryota, but the latter merely leaned out of the way.

"Hmph." At this, he kneed his opponent in the stomach, then kicked him towards a wall. Ryota teleported to him and knocked him into the sky. Teleporting once again, he smashed his opponent downwards.

However, the man sprung off the pavement and quickly righted himself.

Ryota descended to the ground and smirked. "You'll be a bit more of a challenge than I thought. Tell me, what's your name?"

He didn't respond. Instead, he raised his arm. A gash immediately formed across his wrist. Blood spurted out and snaked about, then continued to pour out. Thousands of tiny blood droplets hovered in the air, quickly turned into spikes, and rushed at Ryota.

Ryota, though awestruck by the strange power, barely dodged the attack and resumed his stance. "What the FUCK was that?"

The man, of course, didn't respond. Instead, he prepared for the same attack he had just performed.

As the corridor of blood spikes rushed at him, Ryota ran along the sides of buildings while it pursued him. A bloody trail was left on the walls, and this continued for some time.

"Screw this," Ryota stated, jumping off the building he was currently on. He landed on the corridor of spikes and ran along the top of them until he reached his opponent, who he promptly smacked in the face.

The red-haired man got up and gritted his teeth. The sunset light reflected off his slave crown.

Ryota looked at him and cocked his head. "…Huh? A slave crown? Hm, that's going to prove to be an annoyance."

The enemy rushed at Ryota again and tried to knee him, but Ryota simply somersaulted over him and yanked the mind control device off as he flipped over.

The man stopped in his tracks and blinked. Suddenly, he clutched his head in pain and writhed about until his eyes went blank and he collapsed.

Ryota knelt beside him. He poked the red-haired foe and turned to the others. "He's out cold."

Kage scratched the small beard on his chin. "Hmm…better take him with us for questioning. Vexy, do me a favor and call Gilgamesh? Ask him for a status update."

The queen nodded and held her hand to the side of he head, where her ear would have been. "Gilgamesh?"

----

Deeper in the city, Gilgamesh grinned as the unknown enemy forces fled through the hole in the sky they had arrived from. The sky became normal once again, and cheers were heard throughout the army.

RING! RING!

Gilgamesh looked at a small pouch on his belt and pulled out a cell phone. "Hello?"

"_Gilgamesh_."

"Ah, lady Vexus. How goes the slaying of the beasts on your end?"

"_The survivors, though few, have retreated. And your status?_"

He chuckled. "The same applies here! They couldn't stand to the awesome might of the Clusterian army! HAHAHA!"

"_That may be, but don't become so full of yourself, General. Though the threat may have been repelled for now, there's no telling if or when they may come back_."

"Yes, my queen. I apologize for the display of arrogance."

"_No matter. Casualty report?_"

"Of ten thousand soldiers dispatched, a mere 397 have fallen. Injuries sustained by others have been minor, with a few more serious cases here and there."

"_Excellent. Inform the families of the fallen of their predicament, and report back to the palace. We'll see you there._"

"Yes, milady!" He hung up and looked at the troops arranged in rows before him, saluting him. He grinned with confidence.

"SIR GILGAMESH!" they all shouted in unison. "WE AWAIT YOUR COMMAND!"

He placed his hands behind his back. "Collect the bodies of the fallen and bring them to the burial grounds! Afterwards, report back to the barracks! TROOPS, ACTION!"

"YES SIR!"

----

Jenny laid back on the couch back at the palace's sitting room. Every last bit of her strength had left her. She even lacked the ability to keep her eyelids open for extended periods of time. She let herself collapse on her husband's lap, as he sat right next to her.

He ran a hand through her hair. "Tired, huh?"

She smiled weakly. "Yeah…I need some sleep."

"You're not hungry?"

"No. If you're gonna eat, save me something for tomorrow."

"If you're truly that exhausted," Vexus said, entering the room, "a room has been prepared for the both of you already. Take the elevator up one floor."

Kyoma nodded. "Thanks. C'mon, Jenny." He picked her up, making her laugh, and proceeded down the hall to the elevator.

As they left, Kage entered, accompanied by Ryota and Reiko.

Kage sat on a chair with his wife. "What a day this has been," he stated. "You know when dinner will be ready?"

Vexus laughed. "Cute. I asked a few minutes ago, it will be finished by eight."

The king scratched his head. "Alright. As for now, I think the test should be ready to begin."

"What test?" Reiko inquired.

"You know that guy who fought Ryota?" Kage responded. "The ability he exhibited with his blood was rather peculiar. I thought it wise to further investigate. And according to Ryota, that 'slave crown' thing was responsible for the guy's behavior. Perhaps questioning him will shed some light on this strange attack."

Vexus' eyes widened. "Hmm…you know, if it's possible, we could enlist the aid of this man. The device suggests his actions were not of his own accord, therefore allowing for the possibility of this fellow, if he was not previously associated with the enemy, to help our cause."

Ryota smirked. "Brilliant. Kage, let's go." The Fantasian left the room.

The red-eyed alchemist grunted. "I'm the king, I should be giving the orders around here…"

As he left, Reiko and the queen groaned and rolled their eyes. "Men…"

----

"So that's what it was like?" Ryota asked.

The latter and Kage had taken an elevator to the basement of the palace. The two were strolling down a darkened hallway towards the testing facility.

"Yes," Kage answered dully, "learning the proper etiquette of a king was the worst crappy ordeal I've ever had the misfortune of suffering through."

"Of course it paid off."

"Exactly. Just like equivalent exchange. Hell, it IS equivalent exchange."

"Heh. You and alchemy. They're practically - "

"Synonyms?"

"Yep."

"So what have you and Reiko been doing since I left?"

"It's been uneventful. Standard daily task set. Survive, eat, sleep."

"This whole fiasco livened things up a bit, eh?"

"Yeah…"

"Heard from your father lately?"

"Unfortunately, no. He hasn't sent any letters or made any calls, so I've got no idea how things stand on Fantasia XIII."

"I can only hope they weren't attacked by the same enemies we encountered today."

"If they did, there's not much to worry about. Remember how powerful the military is. The threat, if there was one, should have been deterred by now."

Kage nodded. "Good. We may need to enlist their aid too."

The two finally reached the testing facility and entered. Inside, there was a small control station where researchers viewed monitors and typed away on keyboards. There also was a plate glass window that looked into an adjoining room.

In that room, the red-haired man from earlier laid on a platform, unconscious, in only his underwear. He was hooked up to a machine with several rotating rings and two giant mechanisms, one on each side of the platform. The rings slowly passed back and forth over him as they rotated.

A scientist stood and saluted the king. "Sir, the preparations are complete. Do you wish to begin the examination?"

"Yes," Kage replied. "Let's see what makes this guy tick."

Ryota chuckled and leaned against a wall, arms folded.

After a series of key presses, the adjoined examination room was illuminated while the control center went dark. The platform where the man laid began to shift all about as the rings in rotation passed with greater velocity over the man. Green beams of light enveloped the subject and passed over him harmlessly, sending wave after wave of information to the researchers.

"Sir Kage?" a scientist began. "This is urgent."

Kage approached him and looked at the monitor. Onscreen, he saw strange insect-like organisms darting about the man's intestines and bloodstream. "What…? Are those parasites?"

"Yes," the scientist stated. "I've just run a scan on them. The parasites have been identified as Gangliated Utrophin Immuno Latency Toxin, or GUILT, for short. There are seven different strands of the virus, and all are fatal unless removed with extremely meticulous and complicated surgery."

"So shouldn't he be dead already?" Ryota questioned, having walked over to see the discovery.

"That's what's baffling us," the man said, closing his eyes. "Having all seven strands is an incredibly rare case indeed, but this man is the only person in history to be alive with each strand inhabiting his body. And what's extremely odd…is that they're offering _beneficial_ _effects_."

Kage looked at the scientist curiously. "Have the blood test results returned?"

"Yes sir. His blood is normal, type O."

Ryota clapped his hands together. "I'll have a chat with this guy after you're done with him."

"Good," Kage responded. "This can't go unchecked."

----

"_Get up…"_

"_Get up…"_

"_Get up, Alastor."_

Alastor Vaan Tepes awoke with a start. He panted heavily and looked around the room. "Where…what is this? A hospital?"

Truth be told, he was in the infirmary of the palace, located on the third floor. Shortly after the tests run on him were completed, he had been taken there for detainment and further study. Now, having awakened, he pondered about his current predicament.

"Last I remember…" he said to himself, "…the bar…and brother…then those soldiers…and…ugh, my head hurts…"

The door opened. Alastor saw a spiky black-haired man with an outfit of the same color entering. "Who are you?" Alastor asked.

"Shouldn't you be introducing yourself first?" the entrant said. "Especially after your little debacle the other day."

Alastor looked at him confusedly. "Debacle…the other day? Huh?"

"No recollections of what happened?"

"No, nothing at all. The last thing I remember is being in some bright room with a bunch of machines and a bright green light all around me…then I guess I fell asleep again."

"Hm. At any rate, tell me your name."

"Alastor. Alastor Vaan Tepes. And yours?"

"Ryota Kazuma Strife." Ryota looked at Alastor for a moment. "You said your last name was Tepes? It sounds familiar."

"Well, I'd rather not dwell on that subject."

Ryota sighed. "Alright. But let's move on. The other day, I fought you during an attack on this city, Cluster Prime. Towards the end of our fight, I noticed you were wearing a slave crown, therefore alerting to me the fact that your actions were not of your own accord, and…um…oh fuck it. Jesus Christ, talking in an investigational manner is bullshit."

Alastor laughed nervously. "Umm…okay."

Ryota shook his head. "Ah well. So, I took off your crown and you conked out. We ran a few tests on you and noticed some strange stuff in your body. But that's beside the point. What I wanna know is why you acted the way you did, and who you're working for. Start from the beginning."

The red-haired young man took a deep breath. "I was born into a house of nobility. Though, I lived a bit of an…awkward life, to say the least. My family lived in a castle, a strange one at that. It's protected by magic barriers, and can only be accessed or left every five years. Every time this would occur, I'd venture outside and mingle with regular people."

"Regular people? You seem mostly normal to me."

"That may be, but the truth is, my family's blood has an odd quality about it. Not only are red blood cells produced at an alarmingly high rate, but our blood also has magical properties, including immunity to all natural diseases. Once we have received a wound, our blood can be used for offensive or defensive purposes, but in most cases we just cut ourselves to gain easier access. It behaves almost on its own, but we have control over it. Watch."

A gash appeared across his wrist. The droplets of blood spurted out into the air and froze in place. Suddenly, they all flew about the room and after a short display of this, they converged into a single stream and flowed into Alastor's wrist. The wound immediately closed.

Ryota nodded. "Interesting. You displayed this ability yesterday."

The redhead shrugged. "Well, I don't remember it. But, allow me to continue my story. Around the time of my fifteenth birthday, I became infected with a virus known as GUILT. How I became infected is something I don't remember, but not fearful of the disease, I merely ignored it. However, after a while, I still felt the disease's presence. Wondering why it had not yet been eradicated, I went to a doctor, still during the time of the castle's appearance, and I was examined. The doctor was baffled, but at least he told me GUILT is a virus produced by man. After leaving, I drew my own conclusion. Due to the qualities of my blood, the parasites had been affected by the magic and they offered positive effects on my body. My organs are all coated with a protective covering created by the parasites. I have far more energy due to Savato, a strand of the virus that has created an energy-producing web around my heart. Also, two particular strands, Kyriaki and Paraskevi, make cuts or gashes at locations on my body I choose by thought. So it's giving me beneficial effects rather than fatal ones."

Ryota closed his eyes. "You're a strange man, you know that?"

"Heheh, yeah."

"Alright. All of this talk of the disease has me disoriented. Tell me how you ended up in this situation again, starting with your birth."

Alastor groaned and rubbed his temples. "…I'll see what I can do."


End file.
